BREAKING: INEC Deletes Over 1.27 Million Voter Records

• INEC has removed more than 1.27 million invalid voter records after a verification exercise flagged approximately 1.5 million questionable entries ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it has removed more than 1.27 million invalid registration records from Nigeria’s voters’ register as preparations continue for the 2027 general elections.

INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Wednesday, November 4, during a visit by the United Nations Special Representative for West Africa and the Sahel, Leonardo Santos Simão, to the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.

According to Amupitan, a technology-driven verification exercise identified approximately 1.5 million questionable entries. More than 1.27 million were subsequently confirmed invalid and deleted.

The figures distinguish records flagged for examination from those confirmed invalid. The announcement did not establish that every questionable entry had been removed.

Amupitan said the commission was also reviewing the register through the claims and objections process, ahead of the scheduled publication of the final register on December 15, 2026.

He explained that the exercise was intended to address irregularities and strengthen public confidence in the electoral process. The commission would continue using technology, improving its procedures and encouraging public participation in verification.

On preparations for the polls, the INEC chairman said nine of the 14 activities on the revised electoral timetable had been completed. Operational readiness assessments were also underway across the six geopolitical zones to identify challenges requiring attention.

The engagements came as the United Nations warned that violence or instability surrounding Nigeria’s elections could affect peace and political stability across West Africa.

Amupitan also said the register contained more than 103 million voters, with Nigerians aged 18 to 34 accounting for nearly 29 per cent.

Meanwhile, Permanent Voter Card collection was ongoing, with collection points extended to registration areas and wards across the country’s 774 local government areas.